Demon King
Chapter 108 Demon Castle [3]

The earth shook violently as the fog began to dissipate. The ground around the castle began to change color as if the ground had been cleared. It left a land that was brighter, purer and full of energy.

“It grew ...” Lee Chan-yu muttered blankly, but he was right. I could feel it, probably because I was intricately connected to the castle. This is all my land. Killing demons who risked their lives and limbs to occupy the castle and devour them all had given me the right to occupy a wider area underground. As soon as the mist dissipated, a large amount of mana flowed within me. It would have been difficult to deal with before my evolution, but now it is very welcome.

[New Magic increased 38.]

[Soul Magic increased 56.]

As my jurisdiction underground has widened, my own level has grown, and I have become stronger. It feels mystical to me, and I wonder what I have to say about it – it feels like there is something supporting me. At the same time, I can understand why the demons rampaged during Devil's Night. I, for the first time, recognized the underground as a place I could live. Now I also understand why people are afraid of the underground when joining Earth.

For now, I will wait for the next Devil's Night, and I will fight as the black moon leads me.

“Whoo...” Other changes also occur. I am not the only one affected by the expansion of my domain; the same applies to other entities that I am connected to.

[Kohohohohh!]

Cain was the one who experienced the most radical change from expansion. What I expected from the beginning is now happening; he is evolving to a higher system.

[Ohhhhhh!]

Cain's body, which was already large for the ogre, began to enlarge with the mana swelling within him. I thought she would shrink, just like I did when I evolved from bugbear to fairy. But that's just my case. He grew bigger as if laughing at that thought. His skin turned black, and black hair grew from the crown of his head. He grew three meters taller, and the armor that protected his body exploded. Mireina, who had been watching all this time, screamed and closed her eyes.

I continue to observe the process of creating an existence that dwells in a higher system. It was a different existence from me, whose power was in his body rather than in his magic.

“Do not see.” I suddenly caught my collar. Looking back, I wondered if he had been standing there like that throughout the battle.

“It was a tough fight, L. Thank you.”

“Yeah, y-yes ..” She stutters, her cheeks are red. It felt embarrassing to thank him, but as it turned out, he looked even more embarrassed to hear it.

“But from the beginning, I was not ready for this to happen.”

“Is that so?”

“We do not know that Andras will appear, or you will run to intercept them alone. Maybe you have anticipated everything.. ”Rain passed by, saying silly words. However, when L glanced at him, he stopped in his place and smiled awkwardly.

“Keep, I'm not trying to interfere with your time together. I just thought I could help explain. ”

“That's why you got in the way!” L touched. Part of the wall turned into a window where Rain exited, laughing casually. It was clear that he was running away.

“Old man..”.

“So, what is your initial destination?”

“...Ekspansi.” I pouted, and I was worried maybe he would try stabbing Rain later.

“The atmosphere has grown, so we have to expand the wall. I have more than enough mana now to take care of the construction. ” I look around the country again. Of course, it cannot be compared to before. But if left unchecked, it will be invaded. I need to build a wall in an expanded area to protect it.

“This wall can be used, but get rid of the trench. Free only.”

“Why is there a trench in the first place?”

“It is important to bring up the castle in your mind, but now that you understand this place better, you will be able to change it.”

“...Good.” I nodded, and L took a short breath before extending a hand towards me. It was pale and cold, and I wanted to hug her.

“Come do.”

“Ahhhh! Fate is.. hmpff! ” Lee Chan-yu moves quickly to shut Mireina's mouth and pull her back. Thinking he's a very nice guy, I held L's hand. But he suddenly retreated, his eyes narrowing.

Hybrids are not allowed.

“I'm not interested in him.”

“Good.” As he reached out to me again, the items that had been buried in my inventory appeared at will. It was a memento of the monsters that had played the biggest role in building this castle. The old dark sword was now stuck on the floor. My Mana and L began to swell, and the sword began to shine as if it resonated with us. Without warning, where we erupted and were absorbed into the sword.

“What is this sword..?”

“Silence. Focus on where, remember our game. ” L replied with eyes closed. I felt like I was going to be sucked into her very pretty appearance, so I closed my eyes and concentrated. I need to protect us all from the devil. The first thing I need to do is remove the trench, reducing it to whichever one I will use to build the wall. An incredible wall that will protect everyone behind it. I used the Lunatic Trickster without hesitation. Although I won't be able to apply that skill to every corner of it, it's not bad to strengthen a part of it. It would gradually absorb mana and increase its strength.

“Whoo.” In our previous games, L always played the role as my opponent. He helped me finish the castle when his defeat was already decided. But now, he helped me from the beginning, supplementing the parts that I was lacking and eliminating what was not necessary. I thought it would feel bad for someone to intervene in the image I had in my head, but it didn't. All I could feel was the warmth and affection flowing from him as we worked together.

[A little more.]

[Good.]

No need for conversation. We shared our thoughts as we built the wall together. The black sword helped us, and it reminded me of the monsters living in the castle. It freed me from the fatigue that had burdened me from the battle. We have overcome the Devil's Night and are now using the remaining mana from it to continue our construction. It continued long after Cain finished evolving, and everyone still around came to witness the sight. However, the rain was still gone after escaping early.

“Completed.” We opened our eyes at the same time. I'm tired of the flow of mana I've been keeping, but L makes it look like a walk in the park.

“I am having trouble.”

Its alright. I know the results without looking. Lee Chan-yu and Mireina are making a fuss behind me. The sword, after completing its mission, returned to my inventory. I knew it had grown in strength from this, but I decided to worry about it later.

“Captain, did you just do it?!”

“Let go of my hand!”

I had just appeared to explore the underground and found an opportunity to grow, but was faced with the Devil's Night. We saved the castle and expanded our territory. No doubt, the next night will be much harder than today, but it will make me stronger. Maybe someday, I'll fight someone who makes Andras look weak. But now, everything's fine. I need to listen to Rain's information first and prepare for what I can.

“... L.”

“Hm?” I raised my hand before his eyes. It was still held by his hand. His extremely strong grip refused to let go of me.

“Can you let go of my hand now?”

“Not yet. One hundred and eighty-seven hours is not enough. ”

I was able to get away faster thanks to Mireina, who started crying and rioting. I felt grateful to him for the first time.